Replaceable heel



Aug. l2, 1941. M. MAUSER REPLACEABLE HEEL Filed Sept. 9, 1939 y /.fff////// ./Vax Maase/ A 'TTORNE Y Patented Aug. 12, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ,REPLACEABLE` HEEL Max Mauser, Kansas City, Mo. Application september 9, 1939, Serin No. 294,160-

` 3 Claims. This invention relates to shoe heels and more particularly to detachable and replaceable heels,

and has for its principal object to provide a heel which is quickly and easily removable from and replaceable on the shoe without the use of tools. 1

Further objects of the invention-'are to provide for attaching an assembled heel member and plate assembly to a shoeto providefor .independently removing the heel member from the plate after attachment; to provide for ,removably holding the heel-member on thel shoe by thefplate while the plate is secured to the shoe; to provide for engagement of asubstantialportion of the area of the heel member for holding said heel member tightly against the-plate and shoe; to provide for holding the heel member against 1ongitudinal movement on the plate; toV provide a heel member and plate assembly in which normal use tends to force the heel member onto the plate for a tighter fitting assembly; to provide for preventing backward movement of the heel member on the holder; to provide for limiting the rlongitudinal compression of the heel member,I and form of which is illustrated in the 'accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe equipped with a heel embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective viewof a shoe with ,the

attaching plate Xed thereon and the heel m'em.- ber in disassembled spaced relation. u

Fig, 3 is a plan view oftheheel member show` ing the attaching slots therein. Y

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the heel portion of the shoe with the attaching plate thereon.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the heel member and plate on the line 5:-5, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the heel member and plate on the line 6--6, Fig. 1. l

Fig. `'l is a transversesection through a heel member showing the concaved upper surfaoebefore attaching to the plate.

Referring more in detail to the drawing;`

I designates a shoe having a sole 2 terminating in a heel tap 3 at the rear thereof. Attached to the heel tap is a heel assembly 4 including an attaching plate 5 and a heel member 6.

The plate 5 is preferably formed of relatively thin metal and comprises a flat base 'I provided with a plurality ofnailfapertures B forattaching the plate to the heel tap. The sidesof the plate are bent downwardly asat 9 yand outwardly as at I0 to form L-shaped guides I I,\the lateral projecting flanges I2A of Vwhich are adaptedV to engage the heel, said flanges being progressively wider toward the front of the plate which isof `such width that the ianges I-2 on the guides lare `adjacent the edge of the `heel in approximately the line of nails used for holding'conventional ,heels in place, as shown -in Fig. 4. l

Intermediate the guides II, the plate. 5 is provided with a rectangularopening I3, preferably formed by bending split portions of the `plate rdownwardly as at I4 and outwardly .as at I5 to form L-shaped guides I6 of less height than the guides I I. The openingl terminates short of both ends ofthe plate to form connectinggportions I 1 and I8 vprovided with downwardly projecting stop flanges ,I9 and 20 integral -with the-connecting portions at the front and rear edges of the plate respectively. l l

The heel member 6 is preferably formed of vmolded rubber, or other suitable material, and of the same peripheral contour as the heel tap 3, `the upper surface ofthe heel being concaved as at 2 I, as shown in Fig- 7, and further recessed as at 22 to accommodate the thickness of 4thebase ,of thevplate 5. Y Formed in the heel member are L-shaped grooves 23 and- 24 for` adapting the heel member to be slipped over the `guides II and `I6 respectively, the horizontal portion of the grooves being arranged in alignment `in `such a manner that the flanges v25 on the shorter guides ,I6 drawthe central -portion ofthe heel member upwardly pressing `the edge thereof into tight `4engagement with the edge of the heel tap.

l The grooves in the heel member open outwardly v relative to the front edge thereof and are Yof `the curved to correspond to thecurvature of ,the

heel' tap, and is recessed as at 26' for engaging the stop flange I9 on the plate to aid in preventing longitudinal movement of the heel member on the plate.

Normal wear of the shoes having heels of resilient material causes the heel member to compress and tend to shorten at each step; therefore I have provided additional means for holding the rear portion of the heel member against longitudinal movement or creeping on the plate. This means consists of a transverse slot 21 aligning with the stop flange 20 on the plate when the heel member is in registry with the heel tap. The engagement of the stop 20 in the slot 21 also prevents the heel member from being moved backwardly on the holder. Regardless of the force exerted on front or rear edges of the heel, it is held firmly and locked between the stops I9 and 2.

In order that the heel member and plate may be assembled prior to nailing the plate ontoY the heel tap,` thereby assuring correct registry of the peripheries of the heel member and heel tap, saidvheel member is provided with holes 28 aligning with the nail apertures 8 in the plate.

In assembling a heel member and plate constructed as described, the grooves 23 and 24 are aligned with the guides Il and IS and the heel member moved forwardly thereon by hand without the use of any tools. As the jheel member reaches normal seated position on the plate and the front` curved edge of said heel engages the stop flange I9, the slot 21 aligns with the stop flange 20 allowing the flanges on the guides to draw the heel into engagement with the plate andthe iiange 20 into the slot 21, as shown in Fig. 5, thereby positively holding all portions of the heelin their relative positions on the plate and eliminating creeping or excessive compression of the heel material.

The assembled plate and heel member may be applied to the heel Ytap without disassembling, since the holes 28 inthe heel member register with the nail apertures 8 in the plate. The application is performed. bythe assembly being placed ,on the heel tap and registered therewith and nails 29 placed in the holes 28 and driven into the heel tap by a punch or the like to secure the heel assembly in place in substantially the same manner as in applying a conventionalrubber heel. v

When` the heel member becomes worn the rear edge thereof may be lifted by hand to release the stop flange 20 from the slot 29, and pressure applied toA the Vfront of the heel member will move it from the guides. A new heel member may then be applied tothe plate, or if the wearer tends to Wear the heelsv ofthe pair of shoes unevenly theheel member from one shoe may be transferred to the other shoe to compensate for the wear. It will be noted that once the attaching plate is applied to the shoe it is not necessary to disturb the plate as additional heel members may be assembled thereon and always register with the heel tap. l

From the foregoing it is obvious vthat I have provided an improved detachable heel structure which is of simple, inexpensive construction, and which may be conveniently removed from the shoe or attached thereto by an operator or the wearer of the shoes. Also'when such heel members become worn on a. particular pair of shoes they may be interchanged from one shoe to the other of the pair, thereby securing a longer life of the heel. l

When worn so that they need to be replaced, they may be detached and other similar heel members purchased from stock of retail dealers and placed upon the shoes without the use of expert or skilled help, thus effecting considerable saving to the wearer of shoes provided with my invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A detachable heel structure including a holder adapted to be permanently secured to the heel tap of footwear, the holder having on each side of and adjacent to the median line thereof downwardly projecting substantially parallel spaced guide members carrying lateral projections, downwardly projecting parallel guide members on the sides of the holder, lateral projections on the last named guide members located adjacent the periphery of the heel tap, downwardly projecting stops at the forward and rear edges of said holder, a detachable heel member provided with grooves spaced to align with the guide members on the holder, said grooves opening outwardly on the forward edge of said heel member and being of a length corresponding substantially to the length of the laterally projecting guides on the holder and terminating short of the rear edge of the heel to form stops cooperating with a recess in the forward edge of the heel member for receiving the stop on the forward edge of the holder for locating the heel member in relation to the heel tap, and means in the heel member engaging the stop at the rear edge of the holder for preventing forward compression of the heel member. l

2. ,In a `detachable heel structure, a holder, inner guide members on the holder having laterally projecting fianges, parallel outer guide members extending downwardly from the sides of the holder, laterally projecting flanges on the outer guide members, the periphery of 'said anges substantially conforming to the shape of and being spaced inwardly from the periphery of a heel tap to which the holder is adapted to be permanently secured, a depending stop on the forward edge of the holder in alignmen-t with the forward edge of the heel tap, a shoe heel of resilient material having grooves opening outwardly Von the forward edge thereof and adapted for sliding over the flanges of said inner and outer guide members, said heel having a re'cess, and a depending stopI at the rear edge of the holder for engaging in said recess in the heel member to limit compression of said heel member.

3. In a detachable heel structure, a holder, parallel guide members extending downwardly from the holder, laterally projecting iianges on the guide members, said flanges being progressively wider toward the front of said holder, a stop on the holder in alignment with the forward edge of 'the heel tap to which the holder is adapted to be secured, a shoe heel of resilient material having grooves conforming in shape to the guides and flanges on the holder and opening outwardly on the forward edge thereof adapted for sliding over the guide members and flanges, said heel having a recess, and a stop at the rear of the holder for engaging in said recess in the heelmember to limit compression of said heel member.

MAX MAUSER. 

